Tom Brady praises Andrew Luck

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady knows his focus is on the Indianapolis Colts' defense leading into Sunday night's clash between the teams, but as a veteran at the position, he can also appreciate the excellence of Andrew Luck.

"He's a great player, in his third year, and he's had a lot of success," Brady said Wednesday of the Colts' young signal-caller at his weekly news conference. "Their offense is doing a great job this year; they score a lot of points [averaging a league-high 32.2 per game], especially at home. He's kind of the ringleader. He does a lot of things I wish I could do."

Asked what those things are, Brady expounded on the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Luck.

"He's big, fast, shrugs off blockers. He makes a lot of extended plays," Brady said. "He's a great passer. I think they've thrown for more yards [3,105] at this point in the year than any other team in history. It speaks to what they're doing offensively, and it's a great challenge for our defense. We're going to have to score a lot. When you play another great offense, you're going to have to put up a lot of points, similar to our last game [against Denver]. We realize we have a big job, too.

"My focus is on the other side of the ball, but you also know you're not going to be able to score 13 points and win the game."

The Colts (6-3) have given up an NFL-low 13 points in the first quarter this season, and that has helped them jump out to leads early in games. It's been a key to their success.

Brady also was asked about two of his former backup quarterbacks, Ryan Mallett (Texans) and Brian Hoyer (Browns), who have seized starting jobs with their teams and will square off against each other Sunday in Cleveland.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "It speaks to their work ethic and what they've been able to accomplish. They both have overcome quite a bit in their careers. So it will be fun to see. We play at 8 o'clock, so I'm sure a lot guys on our team will be paying attention."